Muslim Youth Between Quebecness and Canadianness: Religiosity, Identity, Citizenship, and Belonging

The main objective of this inquiry is to examine issues of belonging to Quebec and Canada among Quebecois Muslim youth, taking into account their educational and religious backgrounds and their motivations to identify with and participate in their societies as full citizens. The crucial questions I am asking are: (1) how do young Muslims understand and define their identity as Canadian Muslims; and (2) how do they negotiate their Muslimness alongside their Quebecness and/or their Canadianness. Based on interviews with Muslim youth in Montreal, I argue that these youth, while proud of their Muslimness, see their Canadianness as a precondition to their Quebecness. In other words, they believe that they cannot be Quebecois without being Canadian. Further, young Quebecois Muslims appreciate their national identity; they, alongside other francophone Quebecois from all walks of life who defend Quebec's Canadian character, are drawing Quebec closer to Canada and are contributing to it accepting its Canadian nature by the force of the democratic process.